FX's 'Married' to Explore Intimacy Beyond the Bedroom

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"We saw in the pilot that there was a deeper disconnect between Russ and Lina than just sexually," showrunner Andrew Gurland told reporters at TCA.

FX's Married is an evolving series. The comedy, starring Nat Faxon and Judy Greer, started with a story that looks at what happens when a married couple stalls sexually but will go on to explore the couple's relationship beyond the bedroom.

From Andrew Gurland (Mail Order Wife), Married revolves around the lengths to which two best friends are willing to go in order to salvage their marriage. Greer (Archer) plays Lina Bowman, the wife of Faxon's Russ Bowman. They get along great in every room — except the bedroom. Jenny Slate (Parks and Recreation) co-stars alongside Brett Gelman (Kroll Show) and Paul Reiser.

Gurland noted that producers talked about scrapping the pilot and starting with episode two, after the series pivots to focus more on different aspects of Russ' and Lina's marriage; the story kicks off with the former exploring extramarital affairs.

"We saw in the pilot that there was a deeper disconnect between Russ and Lina than just sexually," Gurland told reporters Monday at the Television Critics Association's summer press tour.

"I see this being more realistic than the marriages you see on television," he said, noting that the problems that arise for Russ and Lina are based on real stories. "I want to explore how people stay in love through those challenges and still hold on to the fantasy of how [their] life is going to get better."

As an example, Gurland noted that a couple can discuss going on a vacation but that ultimately, while that may not happen, it's the intimacy of those discussions and the pursuit of that goal that can be the romantic part.

"In reality, they're never going on that vacation, but the idea that they still hold on to that shared past, that's the romantic notion of the show," he said.